For the last two weeks, some residents have been calling for Education Minister Lawrence Wong to speak out about a certain issue.
It wasn’t the reopening of KTVs or leisure travel, but about a certain transgender student’s Reddit post which went viral last month.
In her post, the student claimed she was supposed to undergo hormone therapy as part of her treatment, but was stopped from doing so by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
The ministry later denied the claims, but netizens weren’t satisfied.
Well, now the head of the ministry has commented on the issue.
Education Minister Lawrence Wong Spoke About Students with Gender Dysphoria in Parliament
Students with gender dysphoria who are undergoing hormone therapy could face difficulties with certain school rules, Mr Wong said in parliament on Monday (1 Feb).
In these cases, schools can exercise flexibility and work out practical arrangements for students if there are valid medical grounds, he added.
Mr Wong was responding to a question by Sengkang MP He Ting Ru, who had asked about MOE’s policies on students with gender dysphoria, and whether they’re being reviewed.
“For students with gender dysphoria, our main focus is continuing to provide them with a conducive learning environment, and to support their overall well-being,” he replied.
Mr Wong said the ministry appreciates the complexity of the issue and recognises that there are diverse opinions among students and their parents.
“We strive to deal with these situations sensitively and with compassion,” he said.
Such Medical Decisions “Beyond the Purview” of MOE
In her post last month, the aggrieved student with gender dysphoria alleged that MOE prevented her from getting hormonal treatment.
Gender dysphoria is the psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity.
She informed MOE of her diagnosis when she started her pre-university education at a junior college.
The ministry said it would like to work with her to learn more about her issue.
However, when she went to see her doctor to begin her hormone therapy, she was allegedly told that the request (for treatment) was suddenly blocked as MOE had intervened.
“This meant that my doctor had to call off the referral, causing me further mental trauma as this affected my ability to pass and present as a female,” the student said.
However, Mr Wong maintained that such medical decisions are “beyond the purview of MOE or any educational institution”.
The education ministry earlier denied the allegation and said that medical treatment was a matter for the family to decide on.
Gender Identity Issues Sparked Division in Western Countries
Mr Wong also noted how issues of gender identity have become “bitterly contested sources of division” in the culture wars in some Western countries and societies.
“We should not import these culture wars into Singapore, or allow issues of gender identity to divide our society”, he said.
The ministry’s main focus is to provide support to these students, and it will work closely with medical professionals, the students themselves, and their parents to do so.
“Our guiding principles are to treat these students with dignity and respect, and to provide as much support as we can to help them,” he said.
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